Latch for refrigerator doors



D. MILLER LATCH FOR REFRIGERATOR DOORS Filed NOV. 23, 1952 Det. 5, 1933.

Patented Dec. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES LATCH FOR REFRIGERATOR DOORS Don' Miller, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Dura Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 23, 1932 Serial No. 643,988

t claims. (cl. 292-121) 'I'his invention relates to door latches, but particularly to latches for refrigerator doors, and an object is to produce a simple and efficient latch of this character having a latching mem- 5 ber which is resiliently urged to latching position by relatively great pressure or force, but may be manually released or retracted through the application of a relatively small amount of pressure, thereby enabling the door to be uno latched with relatively little effort.

Another object is to produce a, new and improved latch mechanism particularly adapfed for refrigerator doors having the features of construction, arrangement and operation hereinafter described, and shown by way of illustration, but not of limitation, on the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional elevation of a refrigerator latch mechanism;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the latch; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a casing 10, which is mounted in a stationary part of the refrigerator frame 11 adjacent a free edgeof the door 12 in the position which it assumes when closed. Closing the opening in the casing or housing 10 is a cover plate 13, and bolts 14 secure the cover plate 13 and casing 10 together and secure these parts to the refrigerator body 11.

Rigidly mounted on the free edge of the door 12 and extending at substantially right angles thereto is a finger 15, which is adapted to be engaged by a; latching head 16 on a pivoted latching arm 17. The inger engaging surface 18 oi the head 16 is slightly inclined outwardly to effect a camming action for urging the door 12 to fully closed position. As shown, the latching head 16 projects through an opening 19 in the casing 10, and is movable vertically therein. The head 16 is secured to the latching arm 17 by rivets 20, and, as shown, the arm 17 consists of a stamping having substantially parallel side flanges 2l in an end wall 22, the head 16 beingv disposed between the flanges 21 in order to secure the same in position.

The inner end of the latching arm 17 is pivoted on a pin 23, it being manifest that both angesv21 pivotally engage the pin 23, thereby affording a substantial area of pivotal contact. In order yieldingly to hold the latch arm in l latching position, a pair of toggle links 24 and 50 25 are pivoted at their inner ends to a pin 26,

the outer end of the link 24 beingpivoted to a stationary pin 27 and the free end of the link 25 extended through an opening 28 in the end wall 22 of the latching arm 17. Mounted on the link 25 is a coil spring 29, the inner end of which 6 bears against a shoulder 30 on the link 25, and the outer end bears against the end wall 22 of the latching unit.

From the foregoing description, it is manifest that the arrangement is such that the coil spring 29 urges the latch arm to latching position, and the spring 29 is such that when the latching head 16 is in fully projected latching position the force of the spring is substantially expended. As will hereinafter appear, this enables retraction or withdrawal of the latching head 16 without much eiort.

Mounted in the outer end portion of the toggle link 25 on the outside of the Wall 22 of the latching arm is a transversely disposed pin 31. This pin is spaced a slight distance from the wall 22 when the parts are in latching position, and when the toggle is broken in a direction to the left of Figure 1, the pin 31 is moved inwardly 80 until it engages the wall 22.

Upon further movement of the toggle link, upward swinging movement is imparted to the arm 17, thereby retracting the latching head 16. It will be apparent that, owing to the relatively 85 great leverage secured by the toggle, relatively little force or effort is required to retract the latching head to free the door 12, and after but a slight movement of the toggle in the retraction of the latch bolt, the spring 29 is substan- 90 tially ineifective and imposes no appreciable resistance to the swinging movement of the latching arm 17.

As shown, a spring 32 is coiled about the pivot pin 27, and bears at one end against a wall of the casing 10 and at the opposite end against a side wall 33 of the link 24 and urges the link 24 toward the inner end of a spindle 34, which extends substantially perpendicularly to the toggle when the links are arranged in their normal or substantially aligned position. A collar 35 on the spindle 24 bears against the inside of the panel or closure plate 13 for limiting the outward movement thereof. It will be observed that the link 24 comprises a stamping shaped to provide.105 a side wall 33 from which extend inwardly side anges 36, which engage the pivot pins 26 and 27. On the outer end of the spindle 34 is a knob 37, against which pressure is exerted for unlatching the door, as will be readily understood. 110

The above described mechanism enables the door to be readily and conveniently unlatched without exerting substantial force. It is merely necessary to push inwardly on the knob 27 in order to break the toggle, and substantially the only resistance to such movement is the relatively light spring 32. In this manner the latching head 16 is positively retracted from latching position. Upon releasing the knob 37, the spring 32 returns the toggle to normal position, holding the link 24 in engagement with the inner end of the operating spindle 34. When the door 12 is slammed, the finger 15 rides over the outer inclined surface of the latching head 16, thereby lswinging the latch arm 17 to compress the spring 29 whereupon the latching arm 17 is caused to snap abruptly to latching position, where it is held by the force of the compressed spring 29.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected vwithout departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A refrigerator door latch comprising a pivoted latching member, a pair of toggle links disposed normally substantially in alignment, one of said links extending through a slot in said latching member, a stop on said last link engageable with said latching member for moving the same out of latching position upon breaking the toggle, spring means on said last link abutting at one end against said latching member and at the opposite end against a shoulder on said last link for urging the latching member to latching position, a stationary pivot for the opposite end of the other link, an actuating member movable in a plane substantially perpendicular to said toggle thereby to break said toggle for swinging said latching member out of latching position, and means for normally holding ing said toggle in engagement with said actuating member.

2. A refrigerator door latch comprising a latching member movable to and from latching position, a pair of pivotally connected toggle links disposed normally substantially in alignment, a pivoted connection for the free end of one link, the opposite end of the other link slidably engaging said latching member, an abutment on the end portion of said other link engageable with said latching member, a shoulder on said other link, a coil spring encircling said other link and interposed between said shoulder and latching member for urging the latter to latching position, and an actuating member for exerting pressure against said other link for breaking the toggle and causing said abutment to retract the latching member.

3. A door latch comprising a movable abutment, a latching member movable to and from latching position independently of motion of said abutment, a mounting vfor said abutment holding same normally against movement during such independent movement, a connection between said abutment and latching member for positively retracting same upon transverse movement of said abutment, and a spring for said latching member movable with said abutment and arranged to be compressed only upon said independent retracting movement of the latching member.

4. A door latch comprising a latching member, a toggle, the parts of which are normally substantial in alignment, said toggle comprising a spring constituting a compression member of the straightened toggle, said toggle having an end engaging and oscillatable with respect to -the member, a relatively xed pivot for the other end of the toggle, means for resiliently holding said toggle in normal position and moving the member to latching position, and means for breaking the toggle and moving the member away from latching position.

5. A door latch comprising a latching member, a toggle having one end engaging and oscillatable with respect to the member, a relatively xed pivot for the other end of the toggle, means for resiliently holding the toggle normally in straightened position, a spring compressed by movement of the latching member from latching position while the toggle is straightened, means for breaking the toggle, the engagement between the toggle and latching member positively retracting the latching member when the toggle is broken, and means for so mounting the spring with respect to the toggle and latching member as to render the spring inoperative when the latching member is retracted upon breaking of the toggle.

DORR MILLER. 

